


The Princess and Her Songbird

by Incoherentbabblings



Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [30]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Eternal (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Mentioned Cullen Row, Mentioned Harper Row, New 52, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, post Batman Eternal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Incoherentbabblings/pseuds/Incoherentbabblings
Summary: Tim watches Stephanie go about her day in the days following the end of Batman Eternal. He has a huge stonking crush, and underestimates how quickly Stephanie catches on. A potential first meeting of Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown out of costume in the New 52.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970230
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	The Princess and Her Songbird

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> _"You met me yesterday."_   
>  _"Yes, and I would die for you. Next question."_

Tim did have a bit of a hero complex. He was self-aware enough to admit it. He also was…not the best with conveying or understanding his own emotions.

He was being creepy. He knew this. He had delayed returning to the Titans just to watch _her_ go about her day.

_**CREEPY** _

It felt like the word should be in neon lights above his head. But at the same time, he worried. The city still smouldered from last night, a smell of burning remaining, staining his nose. Stephanie’s father had died suddenly and violently, and his daughter was a loose end. 

He watched from across the road as Stephanie left her and Harper’s apartment, looking cautiously up and down the street before stepping out of the doorway. A forced habit no doubt, caused from being on the run for weeks. She must have been exhausted.

Tim was dressed in civilian clothing, trying to be inconspicuous at a café. Sat at an outside table, reading an eBook and drinking a coffee like a good hipster. Stephanie walked by, and Tim blatantly leered. From behind she looked inconspicuous, you would never have guessed she had brought down a criminal empire by solving the clues weeks before anyone else had even an inkling. Even from the front you might not have guessed, she was too pretty. Like Harper had said, she looked like a princess. Tim took it in the less derogative manner. Fragile, slim, blonde… pretty hands, pretty eyes. A real-life Disney princess. Not what came to mind when you thought of a brainiac. Of course Tim would be attracted to her. If he was a robin bird and she was a princess…

Tim laughed at the thought and stared into his coffee.

A thump of someone sitting opposite him pulled him out of his mind. To his mild horror, it was Stephanie. Raising her eyebrows, she crossed her legs and arms expectantly.

“Can I help you?” Tim asked, trying to play it cool.

Stephanie snorted, “Good question, Red Robin.”

“What?” 

Stephanie picked up Tim’s coffee and, after a brief inspection, began to drink it. He stared, dumbfounded.

“Do you think I’m as stupid as Harper says?” Stephanie asked when she slammed down the empty cup. “You’ve been watching me all day and night. At first, I thought you were watching Harper or Cullen, but no. You’re keeping tabs on me. And I recognize your face. I recognize your voice. Your hair.” She narrowed her gaze suspiciously. “Your eyes are pretty.” 

Tim gabbed, not thinking quick enough to cover up being caught out like this. Stephanie stared, looking deadly serious, until she broke character, and laughed joyously. Tim gawked at her smile. 

Pretty, pretty, _pretty_ …

“It’s nice to meet you like this! I’m Stephanie Brown. What’s your name?”

Crap. Bruce would have words for him later. “…Tim Drake.”

“Hi Tim. Wanna tell me why you’re watching me?”

“Just making sure there’s no lingering factions being a threat to you.” Finally, his brain caught up with his mouth. Stephanie pouted, then caught the eye of a waiter, and ordered a blueberry muffin and a chai latte. 

“Well that’s no fun. Is that all? Really?”

Tim grew flustered again, “You’re teasing me.”

“Don’t you deserve it? You’re paying for my muffin and drink by the way. Tell me the truth.”

“…You can’t handle the truth?”

She rested on her palms, elbows on the table, watching him. Tim wasn’t anywhere the body language reader Dick was, but even he could tell she was looking at him with affection. _Hopefully_ genuine affection. A solid minute of silence passed, Stephanie smiling as she looked him up and down. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, but her gaze made him shrivel up like a turtle in his shell.

“Try me, Tim,” Stephanie whispered finally.

There was a pause as her muffin and drink arrived. She seemed totally oblivious to his tension and panic, and happily began to eat, picking away neatly.

Tim tried again. “Trying to get to know you better. I want to make sure you’re not a threat.”

She nodded, as if this was a totally normal conversation. “You could just ask.”

“But you might say no.”

“Well, now we’re here. And I caught you. So, Tim…” She reached across and grabbed his hand. “Tell me the truth.”

“I am.” Staring at their fingers, feeling the same warmth (but better unimpeded without his Red Robin gloves) as last night, he took some initiative and turned their hands over so her could properly hold her hand. 

“Oh? Really?” she sang.

_Princess and her bird…_

Tim looked her dead in the eye.

“I have a crush on you.”

Her fingers tightened with his, and she laughed once more, “Oh! _Oh_! No way! You met me yesterday.” 

Tim cursed himself but decided to commit to his honesty. “Yes, and I would die for you. Next question.”

Her smile changed from incredulous to smitten. “Funny boy.”

“Rude girl.”

“I'm not the one haunting someone like a phantom.”

Tim tried to pull his hand back. She was mocking him. She held tight though, and instead held out her other hand for him to take. Her eyes, bright and playful, were kind. No, she wasn’t mocking. It was encouraging him to laugh alongside her. Slowly he slid his free hand into hers.

“I have a crush on you too,” she whispered conspiratorially. "How could I not?"

“Wow.”

Another laugh, and she squeezed his hand. “Just tell me about any other spying session you have planned, huh? Not really necessary.”

Tim held his tongue. Maybe he could get away with saying the apartment cameras were to keep an eye on Harper.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on the 18th of September 2020.


End file.
